Sound: (Until now, he has spoken of the time when the prophet announced the coming of the locusts, having seen this decree in prophecy. He now begins a second subject, speaking of the time when the locust swarm had already stirred and begun to invade the land.) Sound the shofar, as required when an alarm is raised over calamities. The blast of the shofar served to assemble the people; therefore, he commanded them to sound it in Zion, throughout the city, so that all its inhabitants would hear. The alarm blast served to arouse fear so that the people would repent; therefore, he says, “Sound the alarm on My holy mountain,” meaning in the Temple. Through this, all the inhabitants of the land will tremble and fear Hashem. For the day of Hashem has come, for it is near. Regarding a human being, we cannot say that his decree has arrived until it actually arrives, for as long as it has not yet arrived, distance stands between it and its destination, and it may be delayed and never arrive. With Hashem, however, once the appointed time is near and there is no temporal interval remaining, we may say that it has already arrived, for nothing can obstruct His decree. Therefore, since the time is near, the day of Hashem has already come.

A day of darkness: He portrays the day as one of darkness and gloom because of the absence of light. It is also a day of cloud and thick darkness—not merely darkness caused by the absence of light, but a tangible darkness produced by vapors and dense mists that obscure the light. Through this darkness, the spreading locust swarm appears like the dawn spread over the mountains in the morning: it can be seen upon the mountaintops, gleaming and shining from afar. It is a numerous people in quantity and mighty in strength, the like of which has never been, for it consisted of four species, something that did not occur in Egypt, as explained above.

Before it, fire devours: He depicts how it consumes and destroys every tree and plant like a fire that devours and burns. It is as though, when it approaches, a fire goes before it and consumes everything; and when it departs, nothing remains for the fire to consume, so it resembles a flame that blazes behind the fire, scorching the roots and the soil. Thus, he says, “And behind it, a flame blazes.” He explains that before its arrival, the land was like the Garden of Eden, filled with every good thing, but behind it, it is like a wilderness. It is even worse than fire, for something can escape a fire, and people can rescue and save certain things from it; but from it there was no escape, for nothing at all was saved.

Like the appearance: He portrays them as horses coming in wartime to conquer the land. A horse itself possesses the strength to charge forward with thunder and tumult; therefore, he says, “Their appearance is like the appearance of horses,” for they likewise advance with thunder and tumult. When a person rides the horse, so that he is called a horseman, it runs even faster because the rider drives it onward. Accordingly, he says, “And like horsemen, so they run,” for they too have a force compelling them to advance—the command and decree of Hashem riding upon them. When several horses are harnessed to a chariot, they pull it forward and produce the clattering sound of its wheels. Concerning this, he says:

Like the sound of chariots, they leap upon the mountaintops: By joining together as one, they produce a noise like the sound of chariots. Although chariots do not ordinarily ascend mountaintops, they leap there with the sound of chariots.

Like the sound: After depicting the locust swarm itself, he now depicts the sound produced by its activity as it destroys everything: it makes a noise like the sound of a flame of fire devouring stubble. Since he has already compared it to fire, he now says that its sound resembles the sound of a fiery flame as it consumes stubble. He then portrays how the locusts prepare themselves to descend from the mountains upon the cities, likening them to an army preparing for battle against the people who would obstruct their advance: they are like a mighty people prepared to wage war.

Before it: The peoples, however, tremble before it and do not dare to fight against it, while every face loses its radiance and splendor because of the overwhelming fear and anguish.

Like mighty warriors: He now portrays how they conquer the city wall. First, they run toward the wall like mighty warriors, for the people defend themselves from the wall and at the gateway, so the attackers must charge courageously toward the wall and drive away its defenders. They must then know the tactics of warfare required to scale it. Therefore, he says, “Like men of war, they scale the wall.” The soldiers then assign a distinct route to each division, while also preserving a side path onto which it can turn if it must move sideways or encircle the enemy. This is called an “path.” Therefore, he says, “Each one proceeds on his own way,” referring to the main route, and “they do not deviate from their paths,” referring to the side paths.

Nor does one press against another: They must also take care not to advance in disorder, lest one press against another and cause him to fall. Rather, each warrior proceeds along his own highway: each follows the route opened before him, neither too far from his companions nor crowded against them. Likewise, after scaling the wall and casting themselves down from it into the city, although swords and other weapons are held beneath them, they fall upon the weapons but are not wounded and suffer no harm.

In the city: He now depicts them after they have entered the city. There they rush about, making a noise in its streets; they run along the walls surrounding the houses and climb into the houses, entering not through the doorways but through the windows.

Before it the earth trembles, and the heavens quake: This means that the established celestial order will be suspended, for the event will occur through the direct Providence of Hashem. In Isaiah 13:13, it says, “Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will quake from its place.” There, it means that Hashem would arrange and alter the celestial order so that Babylon would be destroyed through it. Here, however, it means that the event will not occur through the celestial order at all, but through Hashem alone. First, the earth trembles before Him, and consequently the heavens quake, for their governance is suspended by Hashem’s providential governance. Likewise, the sun and the moon grow dark, because their influence and governance are suspended, while the stars withdraw their radiance, for they no longer exert any influence or illumination.

And Hashem: He explains why the established celestial order will be suspended: because Hashem has raised His voice, commanding the event through His Providence. The meaning is that Hashem has raised His voice before His army: before the arrival of His army, He proclaimed and announced that although His camp is exceedingly vast—the locust swarm He sent to devastate the land—nevertheless, mighty is the one who fulfills His word. Whoever fulfills His command by repenting and abandoning his sins is mightier than His army and will overcome the locusts and drive them from the land. He further raised His voice to proclaim: “For the day of Hashem is great and exceedingly awesome,” referring to the day He appointed for punishing sinners; “and who can endure it?” That is, who will muster the strength to repent and thereby endure it—being able to withstand the day and bear its calamity without suffering harm? Hashem raised this voice before His army, meaning that many days before sending the army, He spoke through the prophet, who foretold all this in chapter 1. Nevertheless:

Even now: Although the army has already arrived and the great day has already come, do not think that there is no remedy, for “even now, declares Hashem, return unto Me with all your heart.” He says, “return unto Me” even though I am now distant from you—as explained concerning the distinction between “return to Me” and “return unto Me” in Hosea 14:2. Your repentance must be with all your heart, not with a divided heart, and accompanied by fasting, weeping, and lamentation, representing confession and abandonment of sin.

And rend: Afterward, rend your hearts a second time—this signifies complete remorse for the past. Do not rend your garments over the calamity that has befallen you; rather, rend your hearts over your sins, for the sins you committed are more harmful to you than the calamity that befell you because of them. Return to Hashem: this is the second stage of repentance. After you have drawn near to Hashem, return to Him once more out of love. Then, because He is gracious and merciful and relents from evil, He will relent even now, although the locusts have already arrived and the calamity has begun.

Whoever understands: He adds that even if the community as a whole is unwilling to repent, he nevertheless commands the individuals among them: whoever knows and understands should return and repent of his sins. Although an individual’s repentance will not suffice to annul the decree in its entirety, nevertheless, He may leave a blessing behind Him, so that a meal offering and a libation may remain for Hashem your God. He depicts the calamity as increasing in proportion to the number of sinners and sins. If one of them repents, the portion of the punishment corresponding to that person’s share in the collective evil will be diminished, leaving a meal offering and a libation for the House of Hashem.

Sound the shofar: (He now begins a third subject.) Until this point, he has spoken of the time when the locust swarm was approaching and advised the people to repent and annul the decree so that it would not come. He now speaks of the time when the locusts had already devastated the land, informing them that even then there remained a remedy by which they could be removed from the land. Therefore, he commands them to sound the shofar in Zion in order to assemble the people. He does not command them to sound an alarm blast to arouse fear, for they will already be frightened of their own accord now that the calamity has arrived.

Sanctify a fast: Initially, he commanded the priests to sanctify the fast and proclaim a solemn assembly. Now he says that the people should arouse themselves to sanctify a fast, since the calamity has already arrived.

Gather the people: At first, he said, “Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land,” meaning that they should assemble the elders, who would address them with words of admonition and thereby arouse the inhabitants of the land to repentance. Now that the calamity has actually arrived, the people should gather of their own accord, and the assembled congregation should sanctify themselves on their own. The people should gather the elders so that the elders may pray on their behalf, for it is no longer necessary for the elders to arouse and assemble the people. He commands them also to gather the young children and nursing infants, and to bring the bridegroom from his chamber, in order to increase the fasting and supplication.

Between the vestibule and the altar: Since he initially said that the priests should assemble the people, whereas here he states that the people should gather of their own accord, as explained above, without mentioning what the priests should do, he says that they should stand between the vestibule and the altar, weeping and praying. In their prayer they should say, “Spare Your people, O Hashem.” That is: 1) have compassion on them because they are Your people and You are their King; and 2) have compassion because the land is Your inheritance. The term “inheritance” indicates the sanctity within it and that Your Divine Presence rests upon it because of its holiness; therefore, do not subject it to disgrace. Because they are Your people, do not permit the nations to rule over them, for You are their King and Ruler. Because the land is Your inheritance, do not subject it to disgrace, lest the peoples say, “Where is their God?” This would disgrace the land as Your inheritance, where Your Divine Presence dwells and where You are their God.

And He became zealous: Hashem will hear their prayer. Corresponding to their plea, “Do not subject Your inheritance to disgrace,” which asks Him to defend the honor of the land that is His inheritance, “Hashem became zealous for His land”—that is, for the honor of His land. Corresponding to their plea, “Spare Your people, O Hashem,” it says, “and He had compassion on His people.” Our Sages said in the Midrash on Ruth: One verse states, “For Hashem will not forsake His people, for the sake of His great Name,” while another states, “For Hashem will not forsake His people.” When Israel fulfills the will of the Omnipresent, He acts for the sake of His people and His inheritance; when they do not fulfill His will, He acts for the sake of His great Name. The priests prayed that He would act for the sake of His great Name even though Israel was undeserving, as they said, “Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’” Therefore, they said, “Spare Your people, O Hashem,” for there is a distinction between sparing and having compassion. One spares something because he needs it and refrains from destroying it for his own benefit—in this case, for the honor of Hashem’s Name, which is associated with Israel. Once Israel repented, however, He would act for the sake of His people and His inheritance, and Hashem would become zealous for His land. Therefore, it says, “and He had compassion on His people.” “Having compassion” means refraining from destroying something because of the worthiness of the thing itself, rather than because one needs it. Hashem would have compassion on them because of their own worthiness, now that they had become righteous. There are seven distinctions resulting from this. The first is that if He had acted solely for the sake of His great Name, He would have answered the priests, since they were the ones who prayed that He act for the honor of His Name. But since the deliverance came for the sake of His people and His inheritance, through Israel’s merit—

“Hashem answered and said to His people”: His answer would be addressed directly to the people themselves, in their own merit. If He had acted for the sake of His great Name while they themselves were undeserving, it should have said, “Behold, I am giving you the grain,” since it would not be theirs by virtue of their deeds but merely a gift from Him. Since He would act for their sake, however, it says, “Behold, I am sending you the grain,” for it belongs to them by virtue of their deeds. Its arrival had merely been delayed, and Hashem would send it to them because it was rightfully theirs and they deserved it through their merit. Furthermore, if He had acted only for the sake of His great Name, He would not have performed a miracle for them beyond the natural order. He would have given them only grain, which grows naturally when sown, but not new wine and oil, since the trees had already been destroyed, as explained in chapter 1, and could not naturally produce fruit. He therefore promises to perform a miracle for them in their merit, so that the new wine and the oil would also flourish. Moreover, if He had acted only for the sake of His great Name, so that it would not be profaned, He would have provided for them only sparingly—the minimum necessary to prevent the profanation of His Name. But since He would act in their merit, He says, “and you shall be satisfied with it”: He would give them an abundance sufficient to satisfy them. Finally, if He had acted only for the sake of His great Name, He would not have been concerned for the honor of an undeserving people, but only for the honor of His Name. Since He will act in their merit, however, He will safeguard their honor: “and I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nations.”

And the northern one: Furthermore, if the deliverance had been granted only for the sake of His Name, He would not have driven the locust swarm far away, so that it would remain nearby and ready to return should they continue to sin. But now, “I will remove it far from you”—the locust swarm that came from the north. Finally, if He had acted for the sake of His Name, He would have sent the swarm against the nations to avenge the honor of His Name, which they had scorned, and so that Israel would learn a lesson, as it says, “I have cut off nations … I said: Surely you will fear Me; you will accept correction.” Here, however, since I have acted for your sake, “I will drive it into a parched and desolate land.” Its vanguard: He depicts the swarm as having spread across the entire land, from sea to sea, moving from west to east. When the decree ended, it divided into two parts. The part standing in the east, which he calls “its vanguard,” would be carried into the eastern sea, while “its rear guard” would be carried into the western sea. “Its stench will rise”: when a locust swarm departs, it ordinarily leaves foulness and stench behind—foulness from the eggs it deposits and stench from the many locusts that die. The land consequently becomes putrid, causing pestilence and disease through the corruption of the air. He promises that this foulness and stench will rise and disappear, “for it has done great things.” This means that the swarm has already completed its mission and caused immense devastation. It also means that it has already accomplished much by bringing the people to repentance, so there is no need for it to inflict any further suffering. Our Sages interpreted this passage as referring to the evil inclination. Their meaning is that it is not the serpent that kills, but sin that kills: the evil inclination caused the locust swarm to come. When “the northern one”—the evil inclination concealed within the heart and inciting a person to sin—is driven away, its consequence, the locust swarm that came because of sin, will also be driven away.

Fear not, O ground: The word “ground” also denotes land that is not used as a grain field but as a place where trees grow, as explained above in 1:10. He explains that if the deliverance had been granted for the sake of His great Name alone, the trees would not have been restored, as explained above in verse 19. Since the deliverance came in your merit, however, even the ground where the trees grow will miraculously yield its produce in the form of fruit. Therefore, “rejoice and be glad,” for “rejoicing” denotes happiness over the appearance of something good that one had never imagined possible. Concerning this, he says, “for Hashem has done great things,” because the renewed growth of trees that had been destroyed is an extraordinary event beyond the natural order. Since Hashem has done this great thing miraculously, fear not, O ground.

Fear not, O beasts of the field: If the deliverance had been granted only for the sake of His great Name, He would have restored the vegetation only in inhabited areas, not in the wilderness. But now, since it was granted for Israel’s sake, the pastures of the wilderness have also become green, and the tree has borne its fruit, although this occurred miraculously, as explained above. The deliverance thus encompassed every place and every kind of produce.

And you, children of Zion: You, however, should not rejoice merely over temporal prosperity. Rather, rejoice and be glad in Hashem your God because Hashem has once again become favorably disposed toward you after you repented before Him. This should be the principal cause of your joy. You should therefore ultimately rejoice even over His having sent the locust swarm and famine upon you, for through them He compelled you to repent. Thus, rejoice because He has given you the teacher for righteousness: the locust swarm was the teacher that taught you to act righteously by observing the commandments between man and the Omnipresent. Ultimately, you will rejoice that He brought suffering upon you, for through it He taught you to improve your conduct. Because you learned righteousness and corrected your deeds, He will bring down rain for you—the early rain and the latter rain—in the first month, and the famine will depart from you. The law is that if the month of Kislev arrives without rainfall, the people fast twice in cycles of Monday, Thursday, and Monday, followed by seven additional fasts. If rain still does not fall, the community no longer fasts, since rainfall would then be of limited benefit, although individuals continue fasting until Nisan. If the season of Nisan begins and rain then falls, it is ordinarily a sign of a curse. Concerning this, he says, “Children of Zion, rejoice and be glad”: they had fasted until Nisan, and the rain came in Nisan—the early rain benefiting the trees and the latter rain benefiting the grain, since the trees’ season begins shortly before Passover, as stated in Tractate Taanit. Nevertheless, although the regular rainy season had already passed, this rain brought blessing, for:

The threshing floors were filled with grain, and so forth, through Hashem’s miraculous blessing beyond the natural order.

And I will repay you for the years: This may be compared to a mortal king who wages war against a province and is defeated by its inhabitants; he must then compensate them for the losses caused by his armies during the siege. Likewise, once you prevail through repentance performed out of love, I must repay you for what My armies destroyed when they consumed the produce of the land. Initially, he listed the cutting locust first, as it says, “What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust devoured.” Here, however, he lists the cutting locust last. When He first brought the cutting locust against them, it came as a just punishment for their evil deeds. Only afterward, when they began to repent, did the obligation to repay arise. He therefore did not need to repay them for what the cutting locust consumed at the beginning of its invasion, but only for what the swarming locust, the hopping locust, and the destroying locust consumed after they had already repented. He would likewise repay them for what the cutting locust consumed at the end, after they had repented. During that later period, the cutting locust operated together with the other species, and He must therefore repay them for the losses they caused.

And you shall eat abundantly and be satisfied: Beyond repaying them by increasing the produce until it makes up for what was lost during the years of famine, He will place a blessing within their bodies, so that they will eat a little and it will become blessed within them. This is the meaning of “you shall eat and be satisfied.” This blessing is a supernatural miracle and wonder. Therefore, “you shall praise the Name of Hashem your God,” who has directed His particular Providence toward you and “has dealt wondrously with you.” Through this, the glory of His great Name will be magnified. “And My people shall never be ashamed”: Earlier, He said, “I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nations.” There is a distinction between disgrace and shame: disgrace is inflicted by others, whereas shame is what one feels within oneself. This means that they will no longer be ashamed of their evil deeds, for through repentance out of love, their sins will be transformed into merits. He also alludes to the law explained in the Laws of Fasts: if the people have begun fasting and rain falls, they do not complete the fast. They first eat and afterward recite Hallel, for Hallel can be recited only from a state of satisfaction. This applies when their prayers are answered in the middle of the fast. He thus depicts Hashem answering them during their fast, whereupon they eat to satisfaction so that they may praise Him through the recitation of Hallel, which is recited only after one has eaten.

And you shall know: At first he said, “You shall praise the Name of Hashem.” The “Name” signifies how He is known and proclaimed from afar, for in the present age they do not know Hashem Himself—that is, the Divine Presence does not dwell permanently among them through continual miracles. They therefore praise only His Name, which is known to all through His general Providence. But in the future a day will come when you will know Him with absolute clarity, like one who apprehends something directly through the senses.

For I am in the midst of Israel: I will continually remain among them and walk in their midst. I will not govern them through the agency of nature; rather, I am Hashem your God, and there is none besides Me. Nature and the celestial order will possess no power, for everything will be governed miraculously, without any intermediary. Then “My people shall never be ashamed.” At first, he said that they would not be ashamed of their evil deeds; now he adds that they will not suffer shame because of the absence of the Divine Presence and those things that were lacking in the Second Temple, which indicated that the Divine Presence did not dwell permanently among them as it had in earlier days. Then they will no longer be ashamed in this respect either, for they will be restored to their former state. This will occur at the End of Days, when the time of the future redemption arrives, as he will explain in the following chapters.